Epress.am News from Armenia
President of the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA), MP and notorious businessman Ruben Hayrapetyan (pictured) reiterated his intention to provide financial assistance to former player with Armenia’s national team Karapet Mikaelyan, who urgently needs a heart transplant. Hayrapetyan announced this intention on his Facebook page.
“I have already announced that the Federation is preparing to assist him; it’s just that his wife was to have informed me how I can do that,” wrote the FFA president.
Hayrapetyan’s promise follows Mikaelyan’s interview yesterday with Sports.ru in which the veteran player said he has not received any financial assistance from anyone thus far.
Mikaelyan, who is currently living in Moscow, said he cannot afford the more than $25,000 USD required for the operation and that, according to RIA Novosti, all the clubs he had represented during his 20-year career turned down his requests for donations. He said doctors had not told him exactly how urgent the surgery was.
In his interview with the Russian-language sports publication, Mikaelyan said he heard of the intention to transfer money to his account; however, nothing has come into his account apart from an anonymous donation of 200 euros. “If these 200 euros were sent by the Armenian team — well, I thank them a lot.”
The 42-year-old Mikaelyan, who played 20 matches for the national team between 1996 and 1999, said doctors had diagnosed him with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently.